Best Exercises You’re not doing – the Turkish Get Up

Aside from helping you cut a steely core, the TGU increases stability and upper body control – powering you to a stronger overhead press.

Why muscle up the motivation to train if your workout doesn’t benefit your body outside the gym? Trust us, there’s little worth in size without strength. This month master the Turkish Get-Up: it’s the best multi-tasking exercise you’re not doing.

As one of the best functional movements – exercises that emulate real life tasks like lugging luggage or shifting heavy furniture – the TGU hits all the major muscle groups. In one rep you test hip and shoulder mobility, core strength, rotational control and scapular stability. Get it wrong and you risk coming face to face with heavy metal and an awkward conversation with your boss, explaining away a black eye.

However, don’t be put off by this or retro images of strongmen doing the move with 100lbs or more. This exercise is as much for the beginner as it is for those with brawn.

You can use the getup to get ahead in your training one of two ways. The first, in warmups. Add light load TGUs as a prequel to overhead lifting. They’re a nice way to build base strength and experience load in the overhead position. That’s because, rather than press the load up, you sneak the body underneath the weight – a little like building a pyramid underneath the kettlebell.

Alternatively, stop being a planker and reach for a heavy kettlebell to hammer your core at the end of the workout.

Like the deadlift, there’s few people that won’t get bang for their butt from this move. So what are you waiting for?

You need:

A kettlebell, barbell, sandbag or dumbbell all work. Training at home? Practice with bodyweight or a 2ltr water bottle.

Master the move:

Lying on the floor, safely move your weight of choice into a locked out position inline with your right shoulder. Slide your right foot in towards your bum until it’s next to your left knee.

Drive up onto the elbow of the left arm by firing the abs and pushing off the opposite leg – think of punching the weight to the ceiling or ‘crunch and punch’.

Drive your hips to the ceiling while engaging the glutes and abs to create enough space to slide your leg beneath you into a half kneel position.

Step up from half kneel to standing keeping the weight above your head and core tight. Breathe.